England: Reading and Oxford

This is my first glimpse of England from the air.

The River Thames from the air.

I'm blessed to be able to journey to the land of my dreams: England. My sister, Martha, and I will be traveling together for 10 days. The first half of our trip, we'll be staying with Martha's friend Rebecca and her husband Simon in Reading. We are blessed already by their hospitality.  This is a statue of Queen Victoria. Apparently, she didn't like Reading, so she has her back turned toward the center of town. 

Jane Austen attended school in Reading for a year or two.

The ruins of Jane Austen's school.

Henry VIII shut down many abbeys in England when he broke from the Roman Catholic Church during his reign. This is the ruin of the abbey in Reading.

More abbey ruins

Simon and Rebecca's street

I love these row houses!

This is the 700-year-old church that Simon and Rebecca attend. 700 years!

On our first full day in the UK, we decided to visit Oxford, home of the oldest university in the English-speaking world.

I LOVE the look of this old, old building!

Bicycles are still a major mode of transportation, especially for college students.

This is the oldest building in Oxford--it's a Saxon tower.

I'm standing in front of Christ Church college. Look at the beautiful spires!

The spires of Magdalen (pronounced "maudlin") College.

Beautiful church window!

I love this inner courtyard of St. Edward's college.

Not sure this is the kind of education Oxford should be offering. LOL

The famous red phone box!

Oxford Castle

This is for my husband--it's no Starbucks, but it's a "proper" cup. :)